Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia

print / digital / activation

We were challenged to create a 360° awareness campaign on heart failure, so that this becomes a top of mind health condition amongst the Portuguese population. This challenge was a result of the severe increase on the disease prevalence levels, as well as the alarming results of a market research on this subject: the Portuguese population confuses the symptoms of heart failure with the normal aging process.

To answer this challenge, we’ve created a metaphor that compares the way we treat our hearts with the way we treat our cars. When it comes to cars, as soon as a suspicious sound is heard or that something abnormal is noticed, the car goes straight to a mechanic. When it comes to the human health – and cardiovascular health in particular –, even though people may feel frightening signs and symptoms, it is common to ignore those and blame it on normal aging…<br><br>This was the insight that drove all initiatives and communication pieces. By using simple and down-to-earth speech, the campaign was able to connect to the general population. One key communication element was a huge heart installation, that travelled around the country, bringing the subject into matter for a large number of people. The results of the campaign were presented at the 2019 CPC (Portuguese Cardiology Congress), to the country’s major specialists.